Access Health Louisiana halts services at St. Tammany Community Health Center in Covington

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Updated: 11:15 AM CDT Oct 27, 2017

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WEBVTT >> THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHSERVICES OFFERS ACCESS FOR HELPHAS CLOSED UNEXPECTEDLY.HEATH: WHY ACCESS HELP CLOSEDITS OPERATION IN THE ST. TAMMANYCOMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER ON NORTHFLORIDA IS UNCLEAR.EFFORTS TO CONTACTREPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEENUNSUCCESSFUL.>> THAT SORT OF DISRUPTION INSOMEONE'S LIFE IS INCREDIBLYDIFFICULT, SO WE WANTED TOMITIGATE THAT AS MUCH ASPOSSIBLE.HEATH: IN THE MEANTIME, NEED --IN THE MEANTIME, VOLUNTEERS AREFILLING INTO STEP THE VOID.>> ANY INIVIDUALS THAT WERERECEIVING SERVICES PLEASECONTACT US.>> COUNSELING, FOLLOW-UPMEETINGS, MAKING SURE THATPEOPLE ARE STILL TAKING THEMEDICATIONS.HEATH: WHILE THE COVINGTONOPERATION HAS CLOSED, ACCESSHEALTH STILL PROVIDES BEHAVIORALHEALTH SERVICES ON ROBERT ROADAND SLIDELL.THEY URGE ANYONE NEEDINGASSISTANCE IN RECEIVINGMEDICATION LOCATING A NEWPROVIDER IN THE COVINGTON AREATO CONTACT THE VOLUNTEERS OFAMERICA OFFICE.PART OF THEIR ONGOING EFFORT.>> ANYONE ELSE THAT MAY HAVEBEEN RECEIVING SERVICESABSOLUTELY COULD REACH OUT TOUS.IF WE CAN'T PROVIDE DIRECTSERVICES FOR THEM, WE ARE GOINGTO BUY THE SERVICE FOR THEM.>> WE HAD A CAP, -- WE HAD AGAP, WE FOUND SOMEBODY TO TAKEIT AND VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICASTEPPED UP.

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Volunteers of America fills behavioral health gap on Northshore

Access Health Louisiana halts services at St. Tammany Community Health Center in Covington

When Access Health Louisiana stopped providing behavioral health services at the St. Tammany Community Health Center in Covington, a number of clients were left wondering where to go for assistance.

St. Tammany Parish announced the shutdown Tuesday, but a familiar face has stepped in to fill the void.

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"The behavioral health services office for Access Health has closed unexpectedly," Volunteers of America Vice President Jason Burt said. "Volunteers of America is offering any individuals that were receiving services from Access Health to please contact us."

Why Access Health closed its Covington operation in the St. Tammany Community Health Center on North Florida is unclear. Efforts to contact representatives have been unsuccessful.

"As you can imagine, that sort of disruption in someone's life is incredibly difficult, so we wanted to mitigate that as much as possible," St. Tammany Parish spokesperson Ronnie Simpson said.

In the meantime, Volunteers of America is stepping in to fill the void.

A news release issued by St. Tammany Parish government reads, in part, "Behavioral Health clients in need of care and medication, who were formerly served at the FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center) in Covington, should call Volunteers of America."

Simpson said clients will receive counseling and that there will be follow-up meetings to make sure they are still taking their medications.

"Prescriptions will be written for medications in some cases," Simpson said.

Simpson said Access Health still provides behavioral health services at the St. Tammany Community Health Center on Robert Road in Slidell.

VOA officials urge anyone needing assistance in receiving medication or locating a new provider in the Covington area to contact their office at (985) 674-0488.

"Anyone else who might have been receiving services from Access Health absolutely can reach out to us, and if we can't provide direct services for them, we're going to find a service for them and reach out to them and make sure they are taken care of," Burt said.

"We had a gap and we're really lucky to find somebody to take that, and Volunteers of America stepped up and we're so grateful that they did," Simpson said.